El Cajon

Theft Suspect, National City Officer Shot During Hot Stop in El Cajon

El Cajon police originally said a San Diego County Sheriff's deputy had been shot on Wednesday night when, in fact, a National City police officer had been

An investigation is underway in El Cajon on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2022 following a shooting involving a sheriff's deputy.
NBC 7

A 31-year-old man driving a van pulling a trailer believed to have been stolen was shot repeatedly by San Diego County Sheriff's deputies Wednesday during a hot stop in El Cajon, an incident in which a National City officer also sustained a minor, non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

Erik Talavera was driving down the 1100 block of Decker Street near Ballard Street at about 10:15 p.m. when two San Diego Sheriff's deputies pulled him over, according a statement sent on on Thursday morning by the El Cajon Police Department. The deputies had been called in for assistance by members of the Regional Auto Theft Task force, officials said.

When Talavera got out of the van, he was armed with a knife investigators said, and the deputies from the Lakeside Substation instructed him to drop the weapon. However, El Cajon police said, Talavera didn't comply with their demands, and, during the ensuing "confrontation, both deputies discharged their firearms," hitting Talavera multiple times.

A detective from the National City Department who is a member of the auto-theft task force was shot by a deputy during the incident, ECPD said. He "sustained a minor, non-life-threatening gunshot wound and is being treated at a local hospital," according to the statement from El Cajon police. It's not yet clear how the detective managed to get into the line of fire.

Early during the investigation, El Cajon police told NBC 7 that a deputy had been shot in the incident, information that turned out to be incorrect.

Talavera also survived, police said. After he was shot, deputies performed what ECPD called "live-saving treatment" on him till paramedics arrived and brought him to a nearby hospital, where surgery was performed.

Although multiple jurisdictions were involved in the incident, the investigation will be handled by ECPD, where he shooting occurred.

The headline of this article has been updated to reflect new information that a deputy was not shot in this incident — Ed.

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